Novel portable device having a changeable illuminated displayand communications platform

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates generally to illuminated display devices and methods of displaying indicia, advertisements, etc. on a changeable illuminated display. The display device comprises a frame structure, a plurality of openings formed in the frame structure, the plurality of openings comprising first and second open spaces disposed at top and bottom positions, respectively, of the frame structure, and the plurality of openings further comprising a third open space disposed between the first and second open spaces. The display device further comprises a compact image display device operable to display an image, the compact image display device held and positioned relative to the frame structure such that first, second, and third different portions of the image, when displayed by the compact image display device, are visible through the plurality of openings first, second, and third open spaces, respectively. Additionally, control circuitry is coupled to the compact image display device.

PRIORITY

The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 120 as acontinuation-in-part to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/533,953entitled “Portable Device Having a Changeable Illuminated Display” filedon Jun. 26, 2012, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 9,637,069 issued May 2, 2017,and under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) from provisional patent application Ser. No.61/571,473 entitled “Portable Device Having a Changeable IlluminatedDisplay” filed on Jun. 27, 2011 of which each disclosure is herebyincorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, TABLE OR COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTINGAPPENDIX

Not Applicable

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to illuminated display devicesand methods of displaying indicia, advertisements, and other informationon a changeable illuminated display.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Illuminated display devices are well known in the art. A common andpopular illuminated display device includes an illuminated vehiclelicense plate frame. Many issued patents are directed to such vehiclelicense plate frames. Of particular relevance to the subject matter ofthe instant application is the illuminated license plate frame disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 7,430,822 to Combs entitled “Electroluminescent VehicleLicense Plate Frame for Displaying Advertisement and Associated Method.”Advertising text and designs cut, milled or molded on a front portion ofthe frame are illuminated by recessed strip lighting. The advertisingtext and designs are disposed in upper and lower center portions andupper and lower left and right portions of the frame. The frame isdesigned to be mounted to a vehicle and the recessed strip lighting ispowered by a direct current inverter connected to the vehicle's powersource.

Known license plate frames are limited in several respects. Firstly,known frames are designed to be mounted to a vehicle. This designfeature limits the well-known and visually appealing license plate framestructure and motif to vehicle accessory applications. Further, thisdesign feature renders known license plate frames portable only to theextent of the portability of the vehicle to which they are attached.Secondly, known license plate frames do not provide for illuminatedchangeable displays in a portable device. As is known, advertising textis often cut, milled, molded, stamped and/or painted onto the licenseplate frame. Thirdly, known license plate frames generally provide anopen space for the display of the contents of the license plate to whichthey are attached. The open space is not used for the display ofadvertising text or other indicia.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A portable device having a changeable illuminated display of theinvention provides a unique device that overcomes the limitations ofknown illuminated plate frames and provides distinct advantages overexisting devices. A portable device consistent with the presentinvention comprises a light-weight plate frame structure formed toclosely receive a compact image display device held within the framestructure. Digital images are displayed by the compact image displaydevice. Due to its small size and construction, the portable device isof light weight and may be attached or hung from a variety of placesincluding the arm of a user to thereby provide a portable and wearableilluminated display device. Digital images are displayable within thelicense plate frame structure to provide a versatile illuminated displaydevice that may be used in a variety of circumstances and to express avariety of information.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the portable devicehaving illuminated interchangeable displays has a plate frame structureand a compact image display device closely received in the plate framestructure. The compact image display device includes interfaces forconnection to external devices from which images for display by theportable device can be transferred. The frame structure has a frontstructure that includes three open portions whereas the three openportions exposes a portion of the illuminated surface of the compactimage display device. The frame structure has a back structure thatincludes an integral housing for receiving a direct current powersource. The compact image display device is closely received between thefront and back structures and includes control circuitry coupled inseries with the direct current power source.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a strap is receivable inslots formed in the back structure of the frame structure. The strapprovides a user with the ability to strap the portable device to a limbincluding his or her arm.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the portable deviceis portable. The small size, thin profile, and weight of the portabledevice make it easily portable and attachable to many structures andplace-able upon many surfaces.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the portable deviceis wearable. The small size and weight of the portable device make itattachable to a limb of the user.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the portable deviceis versatile. The portable device is designed to display digital images.Changeable images provide the user with a plurality of informationincluding preferences, advertising, logos, and other designs andinsignia from which to choose.

There has been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features ofthe invention in order that the detailed description thereof thatfollows may be better understood, and in order that the presentcontribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course,additional features of the invention that will be described below andwhich will form the subject matter of the claims appended herein.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of design and to thearrangement of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conceptionupon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other devices for carrying out the several purposesof the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims beregarded as including such equivalent devices insofar as they do notdepart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure may be better understood and its numerousfeatures and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art byreferencing the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the portable device having achangeable illuminated display in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the portable device having achangeable illuminated display of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the portable device having a changeableilluminated display illustrating an image visible through open spacesformed in a front structure of a frame structure in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the front structure of the frame structure;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation view of the front structure of the framestructure of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the front structure of the framestructure of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the front structure of the framestructure of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a back structure of the frame structure;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of the back structure of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a cutaway view of a battery compartment formed in the backstructure of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a bottom plan view of the back structure illustrating acompact image display device closely held in the back structure of FIG.8;

FIG. 12 is a bottom plan view of the back structure illustrating compactimage display device circuitry and slots formed to receive a strap;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the compact image display device;

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the portable device displaying a digital imagefrom data received wirelessly from an external computing system;

FIG. 15 is a plan view of a smartphone device displaying a digital imagefrom data received wirelessly from an external computing system; and

FIG. 16 is an illustration of attendees of a sports game within a venuehaving devices with wireless capability to send and receive data toother devices therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A portable device having a changeable illuminated display generallydesignated in accordance with the principles of the invention will nowbe described with reference to the figures. With initial reference toFIGS. 1-3, the portable device having a changeable illuminated displayincludes a license plate frame structure 12 and a compact image displaydevice 70 closely held within the license plate frame structure 12. Openspaces 22 a, 22 b, and 22 c in the license plate frame structure 12 makevisible indicia formed on a digital image 60 underlying the open spaces22 a, 22 b, and 22 c.

The license plate frame structure 12 is preferably formed of alightweight material such as plastic and is preferably 8¼ inches long by4¼ inches wide by 1 inch thick. The license plate frame structure 12 hasa front structure 20 and a back structure 40. The front structure 20 hasa thin profile of preferably ½ inch, side portions 26 and end portions28 (FIG. 5 and FIG. 6). Front and back structures 20 and 40 are shown insubsequent figures as being separate and generally rectangularstructures but one skilled in the art will recognize that the front andback structures 20 and 40 may be formed as one structure as for exampleby injection molding.

Open spaces 22 a and 22 b are formed in the front structure 20 and arerectangular in shape and of generally equal area. Open spaces 22 a and22 b are disposed in the center top and center bottom of the frontstructure 20, 25 respectively. Open spaces 22 a and 22 b are preferably3¾ inches long and one half inch wide. Open space 22 c is disposedbetween open spaces 22 a and 22 b and has a generally rectangular shapewith one irregularly shaped side having five segments that togetherprovide the upper right and left open spaces of open space 22 c. Openspace 22 c is preferably 7½ inches long by 2⅜ inches wide through itscentral extent and 2¾ inches wide at the widest extent of the upperright and left open spaces. Open space 22 c is the space generallyreserved for display of the license plate information in known licenseplate frames. Open spaces 22 a, 22 b, and 22 c provide visual access toindicia 62 a, 62 b, and 62 c formed on portions of the digital image 60exposed thereby.

With particular reference to FIG. 3, the representative phrase 62 a “ADIEHARD” formed on the digital image 60 is visible through the openspace 22 a. The representative phrase 62 b “FAN” formed on the digitalimage 60 is visible through the open space 22 b. Other representativephrases and insignia 62 c formed on the digital image are visiblethrough the open space 22 c. An advantage of the invention lies in thefact that the larger open space 22 c is available for the display ofinformation in addition to the relatively smaller open spaces 22 a and22 b.

The digital image 60 includes information that may include partialphrases that when combined form another phrase such as the combinationof the representative phrase 62 a “A DIEHARD” and the representativephase 62 b “FAN” to provide the representative phase “A DIEHARD FAN”.The phrases 62 a and 62 b are advantageously positioned in the licenseplate frame structure 12 (in open spaces 22 a and 22 b) such that thetwo phrases are customarily combined by the eye of a viewer to form therepresentative phrase “A DIEHARD FAN”. The information displayed in theopen space 22 c adds context to the combined phrase and displays theuser's loyalty (in the case of a sports team and/or sports player asillustrated). The representative phrases 62 a “A DIEHARD” and 62 b“FAN”, as well as the representative phrases 62 c are illustrative onlyand a plurality of digital images 60 provide information including othercombinations of phrases in a plurality of areas of interest to a userincluding sports teams and players, musical performers and groups, almamaters and the like.

The back structure 40 of the license plate frame structure 12 has a thinprofile of ½ inch and a battery compartment 80 having a wall 82 ofpreferably ¾ inch that serves as a pedestal upon which to place uprightthe portable device 10 upon a flat surface such as that of a desktop ora surface adjacent a rear 5 window of a vehicle. The wall 82 is coplanarwith a side wall 46 of the back structure 40 (FIG. 9).

The back structure 40 also has a switch 84 coupled to a control circuitas further described below. Operation of the switch 84 opens and closes10 the circuit that powers the compact image display device 70.

The battery compartment 80 is sized and configured to receive two AAbatteries 86 a and 86 b (FIG. 10). Batteries 86 a and 86 b are connectedin series to control circuitry 30 (FIG. 12), the switch 84 and thecompact image 15 display device 70.

The compact image display device 70 is preferably a thin LCD displayelectrically coupled to, and controlled by, the control circuitry 30.The compact image display device 70 is preferably rectangular and is 7⅞inches long by 3⅞ inches wide (FIG. 13). The control circuitry 30 hascoupled thereto a USB interface 94 and a Secure Digital Card interface96 (FIG. 2). Interfaces 94 and 96 provide connectivity to devices fromwhich images for display on the compact image display device 70 can beprovided to the control circuitry 30. The control circuitry 30 mayinclude a memory coupled thereto for storing images.

The back structure 40 of the license plate frame 12 is sized andconfigured to closely receive the compact image display device 70 asillustrated in FIG. 11. Ribs 42 formed on an inside surface of the backstructure 40 support and position the compact image display device 70within the back structure 40.

In the embodiment illustrated, the front structure 20 is joined andsecured to the back structure 40 by means of screws. The compact imagedisplay device 70 is held closely within the license plate framestructure 12 formed by the joining of the front and back structures 20and 40. The front and back structures 20 and 40 have coextensive sidesthat form the sides of the license plate frame structure 12 when joined.

The back structure 40 also has a ¾ inch strap 90 that is receivable 10in slots 92 a and 92 b formed in spaced relationship one to the other(FIG. 2 and FIG. 8). The strap 90 is preferably adjustable and allowsthe portable device 10 to be hung from a variety of places such as frommirrors and refrigerator door handles as well as from a user's limb, andmore particularly from a user's arm.

The illustrative embodiment of the portable device having a changeableilluminated display described above provides a portable, light-weight,placeable, and wearable license plate frame structure formed to closelyreceive a compact image display device that displays a digital image.Digital images are displayed within the license plate frame structure toprovide a versatile display device that may be used in a variety ofcircumstances and to express a variety of information.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the portable device 10 displaying digitalimage 60 data received wirelessly from an external computing system (notshown). In the embodiment shown, portable device 10 can receive andtransmit wireless signals to an external computing system. Particularly,portable device 10 can receive data wireless via WiFi, a technology forwireless local area networking with devices based on IEEE 802.11standards. As known in the art, WiFi-compatible devices can connect tothe Internet via a WLAN network and a wireless access point.

As such, a system employing the present invention may include computingdevices that employ WiFi wireless capability. For instance, a systememploying WiFi capability may include a wireless router, modem (e.g.,Broadband modem), and any of several personal computing devices (e.g.,smartphones, 2:1 computer, laptops, tablets, etc.).

Accordingly, the present invention includes a system or method forwireless transmitting data (e.g., image data) to a portable device 10.As such, a portable device 10 can display images stored on the device 10in addition to those that are sent to the device 10 from an externaldevice. It should be understood by one having ordinary skill in the artthat the present invention is not limited to WiFi and may employ otherwireless technologies such as, but not limited to, WAN, WLAN, Digital,Analog, Line-of-site, Non-line-of-site, Simplex, Half-/full Duplex,Point-to-point, Multipoint, Frequency Division Multiplexing System,Spread Spectrum, and other suitable technologies.

FIG. 15 is a plan view of a smartphone device 100 displaying a digitalimage 101 from data received wirelessly from an external device.Smartphone device 100 can receive a plurality of data from an externalcomputing system via the device's 100 wireless electronic circuitry. Inone or more embodiments of the present invention, smartphone device 100can display the same images as displayed by the portable devices 100 inthe previous figures. For example, smartphone device 100 can displaychangeable images which provide the user with a plurality of informationsuch as, but not limited to, preferences, advertising, logos, and otherdesigns and insignia from which a user can choose. The smartphone device100 may employ haptics (e.g., vibration) or other functions on thesmartphone device 100 to provide further effects.

It should be understood that smartphone device 100 includes memory suchas, but not limited to, random access memory (RAM) and device memory. Insome embodiments, smartphone device 100 includes a port for a securedigital (SD) card. The smartphone device's 100 memory can store digitaldata that can be displayed at any time. In some embodiments, a wirelesssignal sent to the smartphone device 100 can trigger the device 100 todisplay one or more digital images that are stored thereon.

Furthermore, smartphone device 100 may have software applicationsdownloaded thereon which may provide access to a plurality of digitalimages and data. For example, smartphone device 100 may have a “sportsteam” software application such that a user can access specific digitalimages or other indicia related to a specific sports team. For example,a Penguins fan may have a Penguins software application downloaded onthe fan's smartphone device 100. The Penguins software application mayhave digital images of the Penguin team's logo and other team indicia.During a game, a fan can exhibit on the smartphone device's 100 displaydigital images as shown in the following figure.

In addition, a smartphone device 100 may be networked to portabledevices (as the exemplary devices shown in FIGS. 1-13. As such,smartphone device 100 may transmit and receive data from these portabledevices such that a user can operate two or more devices within thenetwork simultaneously.

FIG. 16 is an illustration of attendees of a sports game within a venuehaving devices 150 with wireless capability to send and receive data toother devices 150 therein. For example, a coliseum, where games are tobe played, may be equipped with several routers to connect devices tothe Internet and to transmit data between devices located in thecoliseum.

In another embodiment of the present invention, fans within closeproximity of each other within a venue may share the digital images ontheir devices with each other. Digital images (or other data) may beshared by any suitable means known in the art such as, but not limitedto, Bluetooth, Zigbee, infrared transmission, or any other suitabletechnology.

The devices 150 may be used during live games (or other live events) topromote team spirit and fan comradery. In addition, these devices 150may increase fan participation during a live sports game. As attendeesof a live game (or other live event) use the device 150, they becomemore active during the game thereby creating a more enjoyable experienceregardless of the outcome of the game.

The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has beenpresented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formdisclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light ofthe above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention belimited not by this detailed description, but rather by the claimsappended hereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable device having a changeable illuminateddisplay, the portable device comprising: a frame structure, a pluralityof openings being formed in the frame structure, the plurality ofopenings comprising first and second open spaces disposed at top andbottom positions, respectively, of the frame structure, and theplurality of openings further comprising a third open space disposedbetween the first and second open spaces; a compact image display deviceoperable to display an image, the compact image display device held andpositioned relative to the frame structure such that first, second, andthird different portions of the image, when displayed by the compactimage display device, are visible through the plurality of openingsfirst, second, and third open spaces, respectively; wireless electronicscircuitry when employed enables wireless communications with an externalcomputing device; and a control circuitry coupled to the compact imagedisplay device.
 2. The portable device of claim 1, wherein a pedestal isformed at a back and lower portion of the frame structure, wherein theframe structure has a front structure and a back structure, the frontstructure being secured to the back structure by a number of screws, andwherein, when a surface of the compact image display device isilluminated, the first, second, and third open spaces are sized andpositioned to collectively expose a portion of the illuminated surface.3. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the frame structure is alicense plate frame structure.
 4. The portable device of claim 1,further comprising: a USB interface coupled to the control circuitry. 5.The portable device of claim 2, wherein the first and second open spacesare of equal area and generally rectangular shape, wherein the first andsecond open spaces are disposed at a center top position and a centerbottom position, respectively, of the frame structure and wherein thethird open space is a larger open space of generally rectangular shape.6. The portable device of claim 5 further comprising: a controlcircuitry coupled to the compact image display device, the controlcircuitry is held within the frame structure back structure.
 7. Theportable device of claim 2, wherein the first and second plurality ofopenings formed in the frame structure front structure comprise two openspaces are of equal area and generally rectangular shape, wherein thefirst and second open spaces are disposed at a center top position and acenter bottom position, respectively, of the frame structure frontstructure, and wherein the third open space is a larger open space ofgenerally rectangular shape disposed between the two open spaces.
 8. Theportable device of claim 2, wherein the compact image display isconfigured to display a digital image, and wherein the plurality ofopenings formed in the frame structure comprise first and second openspaces are sized and positioned such that an entire first word in thedigital image is visible through the first open space, and such that anentire second word in the digital image is visible through the secondopen space.
 9. The portable device of claim 2, wherein the compact imagedisplay is configured to display a digital image including a picture anda word, and wherein the plurality of openings formed in the framestructure comprise first and second open spaces are sized and positionedsuch that an entirety of the word is visible through the first openspace, and such that at least a portion of the picture is visiblethrough the second open space.
 10. The portable device of claim 2,wherein the compact image display is configured to display a digitalimage, and wherein the plurality of openings formed in the plate framestructure comprise first and second open spaces are sized and positionedsuch that an entire first word in the digital image is visible throughthe first open space, and such that an entire second word in the digitalimage is visible through the second open space.
 11. The portable deviceof claim 1 further comprising a strap attached to the frame structure.12. A method, comprising: at a venue and during a live event, receivingdigital image data by wireless transmission; wherein the digital imagedata includes content related to the live event; and transmittingdigital image data by wireless transmission from a first device to aplurality of devices proximate thereto.
 13. The method of claim 12,wherein the live event is a sports event.
 14. The method of claim 12,wherein the digital image data is received by a portable device.
 15. Themethod of claim 12, wherein the digital image data is received by asmartphone device.
 16. The method of claim 15 further comprisingemploying haptics during the display of the digital image data.
 17. Themethod of claim 12, wherein the wireless transmission is accomplished byat least one of Bluetooth, Zigbee, or infrared transmission technology.18. A system, comprising: a wireless router when in operation has accessto the Internet; a portable display device when in operation iscommunicatively coupled to the wireless router during operation; and asmartphone device that is to be communicatively coupled to the wirelessrouter and the portable device during operation; when in operation, theportable display device and the smartphone device are to display contentrelated to a live event that is retrieved from the wireless router. 19.The system of claim 18, wherein the portable display device comprises: aframe structure, a plurality of openings being formed in the framestructure, the plurality of openings comprising first and second openspaces disposed at top and bottom positions, respectively, of the framestructure, and the plurality of openings further comprising a third openspace disposed between the first and second open spaces; a compact imagedisplay device operable to display an image, the compact image displaydevice held and positioned relative to the frame structure such thatfirst, second and third different portions of the image, when displayedby the compact image display device, are visible through the pluralityof openings first, second and third open spaces, respectively; wirelesselectronics circuitry when employed enables wireless communications withan external computing device; and a control circuitry coupled to thecompact image display device.
 20. The system of claim 18, wherein thesmartphone comprises haptics output capability.